What Is Obesity?

Obesity is the storage of energy – or excess calories – in the form of fat, which occurs when more calories are consumed than the body burns in activity. Obesity is a chronic disease that ultimately leads to many other serious diseases, and is closely associated with each individual’s metabolic “set point.” We are each born with this set point, which drives our individual weight and body composition. An obese person may store more energy as fat, not necessarily because he or she eats more than a non-obese person, but because that is simply how his or her body works.

A measurement used to determine if weight is posing any risks to your health is Body Mass Index (BMI). If you have a BMI of 30 or higher, your extra weight is putting your health in danger.

There are many causes of obesity. The prevailing cause in the vast majority of individuals is genetic. Most people are clearly born with a genetic predisposition to become overweight. Studies of individuals adopted at birth show that they more often end up in the weight category of their biological parents than that of their adopted parents, as “nature” overrides “nurture” in these instances. Other types of studies reaffirm this trend.

Behaviors and environment are also implicated in obesity. Calorie-dense foods and large portions are the norm today, and in our sedentary society it takes a concerted and conscious effort to exercise enough to burn the same number of calories that were burned in the average day just 50 years ago. Also, years of dieting and gaining and losing weight, can alter a person’s metabolism.

Other causes contribute to about one percent of cases, including thyroid disease, neurological disorders, hormones, and the use of certain drugs.